Tbactor



J. GUTH.

TRACTOR.

APPLlcAloN mio Nov.2s. 191e.

1,350,455 1 Patented Aug. 24, 1920,.;-

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

I. GUTH.

TRACTOR.

APPLICATION FILED NGV. 26|'l9l8- Patented Aug. 24, 1920.

l. GUTH.

TRACTOR.

APPLICATION FILED N0.26, 1918.

Patented Aug. 24, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Y in addition to serving as traction or driv- ,UNITEDA STATES JACOB GUTI-I, SALEM, ILLINOIS.

TRACTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 24, 1920.

Application filed. November 26, 1918. Serial No. 264,276.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB GUTH, a citizen of the Unitedv States, residing at Salem, Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Tractors, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable Others Skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates generally to tractors and more particularly to a steering gear therefor, the'principal object of my inventionV being to provide al relatively simple, durable and efiicient steering mechanism which may bey readily manipulated 'by the operator and which is arranged and constructed'so as to enable the entire machine to be v turned within a relatively small radius. Y Y j A further object of my invention is to Vprovide an improved form of tractor frame which is composed of comparatively few parts and in which isV combined strength and rigidity with lightness of weight, and the parts of said frame being constructed and combined so as to withstand to the greatest advantage,` strains and stressesv which are developed while the tractorA is in service. Y

In my improved tractor, the front wheels ing wheels, perform the functions of steeriiigwheels inasmuch as they are mounted in frames that are arranged to turn on vertical axes through the kmedium of manually operated steering mechanism. By virtue'of this construction, the rear wheels can be dispensed with and the rear portion of the truck' directly connected to a wagon or to a farming implement such as a plow, cultivator, harrow, seeder, or the like. The operators seat and the steering wheel are prefeiably arranged at the rear end of the tractor, and consequently when said tractor is used v'for Operating an agricultural implement, the Operator occupies a position immediately over said implement or inra position where he can readily watch the operation thereof, make the necessary adjustments thereupon, and drive and steer the tractor rso as toy obtain best results from the implementy connected thereto.

, With thefforegoing andr other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a tractor constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken approximately on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

' Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken approximately on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. fl is a cross section taken approximately on the line L-Ll of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic planV view of the front wheels of the tractor and the steering mechanism associated therewith. Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a practical. embodimentr of my invention, 10 designates the front member of the tractor frame, said member being preferably cast in a single piece and the upper portion substantially U-sliape when viewed in front or rear elevation. Formed integral with the lower portion of this frame are downwardly and laterally projecting arms 11, the ends of which terminate in vertically disposed bearings 12. Formed integral with the upper portion of each side of the frame 10 is a pair of outwardly projecting bearings 13 and '14, the same being spaced a slight distance apart and disposed in alinement with each other and with the corresponding bearing 12. Formed integral with the upper portion of each side of the frame 10 and immediately adjacent to each bearing 14 is a horizontallydisposed bearing 15.

The main body portion of the tractor frame is formed of a relatively narrow elongated plate or section of sheet metal 16, the same being preferably curved in cross section so as to form a shallow trough and the front portion of this plate 16 is arranged within the U-shaped portion of frame 10` and rigidly fixed thereto in any suitable manner. The forward end portion of plate 16 projects a short distance beyond frame 10 and serves as a support for the engine or motor 17 that furnishes motive power for the tractor. i'

The engine shaft 18 extends rearwardly over the central portion of plate 1() and mounted for sliding movement on the rear portion of this shaft is a transmission pinion 19, the same being operated by suitable means well-known in the art. Secured yin any suitable manner to the lower portions of arms 11 adjacent to the bearings 12 are the lower ends of inclined braces 20, the upper ends thereof being fixed rvin any suitable manner to the forward portion of plate 1 6,

.these braces being for the purpose of reinforcing the front portion of the frame and forming a` strong substantial connection between the frame members 11 and 16.

Journaled for rotation in each bearing 13 Vis a short vertically disposed tubular shaft 21, andfformed integral ywith the lower .end

thereof is a verticallyv disposed loop oropen v frame 22, the lower end thereof being V,pro-

vided with a journalwhich occupiesthe corresponding bearing 12. Seated inthelower Y portion of the loop or open frame is the inner end of an outwardly projectingfstub Y shaft 23and journaled,thereuponis traction wheel 24 of any desired construction. Eixed. to the inner face of each traction wheel is a beveled gear wheel 25.

. -Loosely mounted .in f each tubular shaft 21 vand the adjustablebearing 14 i s;.a;ve`r tically disposed. shaft 2 6,the sameI carrying on `its .lower enda beveled-pinion 27 ,which meshes with the corresponding beveled gear wheel 25.v

. Fixed on the upper ends of the shafts'26 are beveled pinions 28V and meshing. therewith are beveled pinions29, the latter beingcarr-ied by the ends of adifferential shaft.-30 The two parts of this Vshaftare connectedby vdifferential gearing ofga type wellknown in the art, and saidV gearingbeiing. contained within va housing 31. The

shaft v.32 for driving this differential shaft occupies an inclinedpositionabove the centralportion ofplate 16, itsilower. end being mounted ina suitable bearing A,53 and carried lby said shaft is aseries otpinions 3 4 of. different .sizes and with which pinion 19 isadaptedyto beselectively engaged. Thus.

it will be seen that kasmotor 17 is operated,

the f power and rotaryhmotion ofits shaft 18 will betransmitted through pinion 19g andV project inwardly. and with their inner. ends slightly inadvanee offa 4line draw the -aXes'ofA-the shafts 26.,V j v :Thecrank arms 36 are disposedat angles n through of approximately forty-live degrees rela-v tive to .the arms L3.5- andlunfler. normal Conditions, these arms 36 project rearwardly and at slight Vangles inwardly toward each other. The ends ofthe crank arms 36 are connected by a rod 37.

-Fixed ontop of plate 16 and slightly to the rear of frame 10 is a block 88 which serves asia bearing for shaft 18 and journaled on a pinorbolt 39 which is seated in the upper portion of this block is a toothed segment 40. Formed integral withl or fixed to this segment is a shortfrearwardly projecting arm 41 and pivotally connected to therear endthereof'are the rear ends of a pairof connectingrods42. The forward `end ofeach rod 42fis pivotally connected to the linner-end of `the correspondingone fof crank arms35.

lVleshing kwith the teeth of Vsegment 40 is a worm 43, the same being carried by. a longitudinally disposed shaft .44 that is arranged forrotation in suitable .bearings on plate 16. 'lfherear end .of thisshaft 44 is connected by a universaljoint 45 to theforward endof a steering shaft 46, the rear endthereof carrying a steering wheel 4T. This .steering ywheel is positioned immediately infront of anoperators seat 48, which latterfis carried by a suitable support at the rearendbf Vframe member 16.

Secured in any suitable manner to -the rearportion of framemember 16is Va pair bars 49 ,whichserve as attaching members for truck. or agricultural implement, .such asa plow cultivator, harrow, drill, or the like, :and which implement is drawn .forwardly by the; tractor., Y Y

lf the tractor. is utilized for pulling loaded wagonsorthe like, thetongue or front portion of the running gear of the wagon.

lof rearwardly. and "outwardly projecting cany be directly connected tothebars orV` l the rear portion. of frame member 16, or in thel eventithat v.the tractor` is being .driven from,V one .po1nt of use to another, asimple form of truck suclras 1s shown lby dotted li-nesin Figs. Land 2may be attachedfto -thebars-49. or frame memberl.

To steerthe'truck during its forward movement orto turn the truck ipartiallylor completely around, the. operator positioned. on seat 48 yrotatesshafts. .46- and 44by manual manipulation of thesteering wheel 47 and this rotarymotion is transmitted from worm 43..to segment 40. As the' segment is thus operated,.crank arm. 41 will.be swung laterally and .the Ymotion thereof transmittedthrough connecting rods 42Vto crank `arms k35 and from Athence to. tubular shaftsQl. YThese shafts .will thus besimultaneously rotated in the same direction. with the result that'. the loops'or `open [frames carrying the, traction vfwheels .Q4 onftheir Y lower ends will be correspondingly.turned.

. `Obviously .as this turning .movement is imparted to. .tubular shafts-21, crankf arms 36 will be correspondingly moved, and connectingrod 37 will act as an equalizer to cooperate with rods 42 in the application of the turning movement. Y

Vrlhe angular positions of the arms 35 and 36 and connecting rods 42 and 37 with respect to eachother are such that when in turning toward the righthand, the right hand one of the wheels 24 will turn at slightly greater speed than the lefthand one ofthe wheels, and as a result, it will gradually assume a position of greater angularity with respect to the center line or axis of the body` of the tractor than the lefthand one of the wheels, and obviously, this action is reversed when the wheels are swung toward the lefthand, that is, the lefthand oneof the wheels will move more rapidly and assume a position of greater angularity relative to the axis of the body of the tractor than the righthand wheel. This increased movement or angular-ity of one wheel with respect to the other increases proportionately with the turning movement imparted to the wheels by the manually operated steering gear, and as the forward one of the two wheels has a position of greater angularity than the other while turning, said wheels will operate to the greatest advantage in making a relatively short or sharp turn. Y

rllhe positions of the wheels when shifted to their extreme limit of movement in both directions is illustrated by the solid and dotted lines in Fig. 5, and the curved lines upon the wheels shown in solid lines in said figure indicate the direction of forward movement of the wheels.

A tractor of my improved construction is comparatively simple, can be completely turned around within a comparatively small radius, and is particularly applicable for use ink drawing` loaded wagons or the like or for being directly connected to various farm impleinents which in service are drawn over the ground.

1t will be readily understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various parts of my improved tractor can be made and substituted for those herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a tractor having a main frame, the combination with a transversely disposed frame` arranged near the forward end of said Ymain frame, of vertically disposed members mounted for rotation in the ends of said transverse frame, wheels carried by said vertically disposed members, a pair of crank arms carried by each vertically disposed member, the members of each pair of crank arms being disposed substantially at right angles to each other, one arm of each pair normally projecting inwardly toward the center of the main frame and the other arm of each pair projecting` rearwardly, a pivotally mounted crank arm on the main frame, connecting rods between said piv otally mounted crank arm and the inwardly projecting` crank arms on the vertically disposed members, and a rod connecting the rearwardly projecting crank arms on said vertically disposed members.

2. 1n a tractor having a main frame, the combination with a transversely disposed frame arranged near the forward end of said main frame, of vertically disposed members mounted for rotation in the ends of said transverse frame, wheels carried by said vertically disposed members, a. pair of crank arms carried by each vertically disposed member, the members of each pair of crank arms being disposed substantially at right angles to each other, one arm of each pair normally projecting inwardly toward the center of the main frame and the other arm of each pair projecting rearwardly, a pivota'lly mounted crank arm on the main frame, connecting rods between said pivotally mounted crank arm and the inwardly projecting crank armsV on the vertically disposed members, a rod connectingl the rearwardly projecting crank arms on vertically disposed members, the angularity of said crank arms and connecting rods being such as to impart greater movement to one of the vertically disposed wheel carrying members than to the other, when said members are shifted to effect a turning movement of the tractor, and means including a worm and toothed segment for imparting movement to the pivotally mounted crank arm.

3. ln a tractor' the combination with a transversely disposed frame at the forward portion of said tractor and having vertically alined bearings in its end portions of members mounted for rotation in said bearings,

stub shafts carried by and projecting outwardly from said members, wheels journaled on said stub shafts, .a crank arm mounted on the tractor frame and normally occupying a position substantially parallel with the wheels, a pair of crank arms earried by the rotatably mounted members, which crank arms normally occupy positions substantially parallel with the wheels and with the crank arm on the tractor frame, a rod connecting the members of said pair of crank arms, a second pair of crank arms on the rotatably mounted members, which second pair of crank arms normally occupy angular positions with respect to the first mentioned pair of crank arms and the crank arm on the tractor frame, and rods connecting the crank arm on the tractor frame with the members of the second mentioned pair of crank arms, which last mentioned rods occupy angular positions with respect to each other and with respect to tlie'first mentioned connect'l ,A ing rod.

4f. In a tractor having a mainframe and a transversely disposed frame arranged near the `forward end of saidmain fra-Ine, tlie combination lwith vertically disposed members `mounted for rotation in the ends .of said transverse frame, of wheels carried by said verticallydisposed members, a crank arm fulcijumed on'the tractorl frame, crank arms .projecting forwardly and inwardly from the vertically disposed members at the ends .of the transverse frame, rods connecting" said forwardly projecting-crank arms with the crank arm on the tractor frame,

normally occupy angular posi-I which rods tions wvith respect fto each other and with respect ltothe crankarins to which they are connected,v `crank arms projecting rearwardly from the vertically disposed inembers yin Vthe' ends of ftlietransvers'e frame, which Vlast mentioned crank arms occupy positions substantially parallel `with the crank arin on they frame7 and an Ae'opualizing rod conn,ecting` said rearwardly projecting pair of crank armsfxvhicli equalizing rod normally occupiers a position parallel with Vthe transversely disposed frame at the forward end of tlie main frame.'

In testimony whereof I hereunto' ailix my signature this 23rd day of November, 1918.

' V'JAooB Gurn.V 

